Monday, October 5, 2009

2000/01 Asian Club Championship & 2000/01 Asian Cup Winners' Cup

In 1999, after years of under performing in the domestic league, despite having a budget any S-league club would envy, Home United had finally, under the guidance of Dutchman Robert Alberts, rose to win their first S-league title.

Now in 2000, the Protectors were ready to take up the challenge in their first ever foray in the Asian Club Championship.

For the Protectors, they could not asked for an easier opposition than Macao champions Polícia de SegPública and it was no surprise they easily dispatched the Macao champion with ease. The first leg already effectively ended the tie as the Protectors won 5-0 in Macao and in the return leg the Protectors finished the job with a 6-0 whacking of the Macao champions in Bishan

In the second round though, the Protectors will come up against much tougher oppositions in the form of Chinese Champions ShandongLuneng. With S-league dismal record against North-East Asia clubs and this being the Protectors first ever foray into Asian Club competition, it looked game over and indeed it proved the case.

The Protectors were no match for the Chinese champions. In the first leg in China, ShandongLuneng defeated the Protectors 3-0 before another easy 3-1 victory for the Chinese champions in the second leg back in Singapore.

For the other uniformed team, the Warriors, they were to have yet another disappointing exit from Asia.

In the previous two years, they had the excuse that they were unlucky to meet strong Thai teams with S-league teams not yet equipped to meet them yet but now, with them playing in the Asian Cup Winners' Cup and up against Vietnamese club Cang Saigon, they somehow failed to progress yet again.

We must not forget that it was the maiden year of Vietnamese professional football while the Republic were already into their fifth year of professional football and worse was that the Warriors had what is considered among the strongest and best S-league squad in 2000 as they captured the S-league crown easily that year.

So it is a total farce the way they fell to the Vietnamese FA Champion.

In the first leg in Vietnam, the Warriors did a great job in holding the Vietnam side to a 0-0 draw with the pitch conditions terrible for football.

Any fans would now be confident about the Warriors chances of further progressing as they hold the ace with not only home ground advantage but also the fact in their squad they have ace striker MirkoGrabovac, who had scored seven Asian goals last term.

However in one of the worst display ever by the Warriors, they were completely outplayed by the Vietnam side at Jurong Stadium and lost 0-2 on home soil. It was a humbling experience with the Warriors, the only S-league side to play in every Asian club competition since the S-league rejoined the Asian arena, yet again knocked out early in Asia.

Certainly a mixed campaign by S-league clubs in Asia as the Protectors playing in their first ever Asia club competition did a reasonable job dispatching Macao Polícia de Seg in the first round and despite being completely outplayed by Chinese Champion Shandong Luneng in the second round, they have nothing to be ashamed for the Chinese League is several notches above the S-league and it is the Protectors first attempt.

It will serve as a great learning curve for the Protectors and one hoped they will improve from it unlike their uniformed rival.

Indeed, one find it hard to find any excuses for the now three-time S-league Champions as they yet again displayed another disappointing performance in Asia casting doubts among this author if they were just another S-league club who are easily satisfied with domestic football alone.

After all they have the best record in the domestic scene and have certainly displayed the abilities to play great football but in Asia they have not shown anything close to what they are capable of and it leave one wondering if they are just not interested.

If that was the case, one can feel sad about the mentality of one of Singapore giants, SAFFC, for it is an honour for them to fly the Republic flag overseas every year but they just do not seems to be able to fulfill the minimum promise one expect from them.